Questions for the GM December 2007
This set of questions was compiled by Havoc. Interview starts below the line. Questions are in Bold, answers and other comments from the GM are unformatted. ---- Hi, thanks for the questions. I'll try to answer them all as best I can, and thanks for supporting Sryth! Theodril asks, "Thanks a ton for a fun game. I've really enjoyed the game since joining in March 07; and my pleasure in playing has been great since it became a full-time endeavor in July 07. For 4 months, you spoiled us with near daily updates. And we've had tons of fun; but lately, the update frequency has dropped to about 1 or 2 a week. I know this sounds spoiled; and I understand that updates are not everything about the game since work needs to be done on the mechanics and stuff; but what are the reasons for the less frequent updates?" Two large game areas are currently being worked on behind the scenes: Fogbough Forest and Saarngard Isle. While working on them I'm sometimes not able to prepare new material to release for play. I will endeavour, however, to release more frequent content updates, even if they are smaller scnearios, while working behind the scenes on the larger pieces. There are a couple of questions about your background. Cruddyrixpin asks if you have learnt the skills needed to make the game on your own, or if you had any special training. Shadowdragon was wondering whether you had any background in martial arts, or have done any research into it. I'm a computer hobbyist and a self-taught programmer, so thankfully the skills I needed to create and maintain the game I was able to learn my own. I've always had a passion for writing, and especially enjoyed creating RPG scenarios when my friends and I would play tabletop games. I was happy to be able to find a way to combine my interest in writing with my interest of computers! No, I have no background in martial arts and haven't done any research into it. The descriptions of unarmed combat sequences and uses in Sryth are largely based on how I imagine an unarmed combatant would engage his or her enemies, and probably has little to do with how real martial artists function, etc. A couple of players were wondering about continuations of previous quests. Paladin asks, "Will there, as has been hinted by other players, be any followups regarding the Seven Knights quest? I've always felt that quest had a lot of potential for expansion." Blackcrowe asks, "Has the GM any information on the wherabouts of Huldark the Fox? I sort of miss him and am waiting for our paths to cross." Thanks for stirring my memory with regards to the ! There were additional scenarios planned for them that never came to fruition. I think following some of the next major updates I will put them back on the list. The original intent was for the seven flawed knights to an adventurer and subsequently provide them with weapons and armour to outfit them for a series of tasks. Thanks for reminding me! ? I wouldn't be so eager to cross paths with the likes of him! Hudlark will also make a return, most likely after some of the next major updates. He hasn't forgotten your meddling in his affairs. We also have a few questions about what possible influences on the game. Lyfebane aks, "I'd like the GM to tell us his favourite character from a fantasy setting, and why. I'd like to know what traits he may be looking for in our heroes." Thatdarncat asks, "What game, pen & paper or Comp, was the biggest influence on Sryth?" My favourite character from a fantasy setting would have to be Frodo from the Lord of the Rings trilogy (as if we didn't know where he was from!). I've always felt the tranformation his character undergoes as the story progresses is particularly powerful, as his struggle, regardless of all that's going on around him, always seems to remain a very personal, though ultimately selfless one. Without question, Dungeons and Dragons was the largest influence on Sryth. My friends and I played the game for quite a few years and it was during that time I discovered just how much I liked creating fantasy settings and adventures. As far as computer games go, I would have to say that text adventures (particularly Beyond Zork, if anyone recalls it) were the biggest influences. Shadowblack had a question about random and pre-generated characters: "What's the point of the random character generation and what's the point of having pre-generated characters? There are a few pre-gens that have items unavailable anywhere in the game, however these items are nothing special (except maybe in the very beginning). The main advantage pre-gens have over randomly generated characters is the number of skills and powers they start with, but now that we can learn all skills and powers that doesn't matter any more. And the random generation is pretty pointless now because everyone tries to get high stats in order to get a high exp bonus and around 90% of all active characters have 18+ in all stats, not to mention 25% or 30% exp bonus on skills and powers. This makes items that give stat bonuses practically useless, since there's no negative side to having high base stats…" To this, Filaren adds, "Since the skill bonuses (exp wise) are only locked in at creation, having high stats then matters, and later only matters for the stat rolls pretty much. Any chance of having stat up items effect the exp bonus as well?" The pre-generated characters are there to give a quick start up option to players who may not necessarily like to spend time creating a random character. The point made about the stats (Might, Agility, Aura, etc.) is a valid one, and down the road I think character stats will be allowed to rise above 20, with augmentation from items and other sources, providing extra bonuses at these higher levels. The skill bonuses, as you've noted, are based on the character's original stats and will likely remain that way, at least for the immediate future. And finally, an extra question from me, Havoc "Can we finally learn how the Adventurer's Ranking is calculated?" The Adventurer's Ranking is caculated (at present) using 6 individual scores: Character Stats, Character Skills, Character Powers, Melee Rating, Stamina Points, and Gold. Each of the individual scores are weighted, earning character's progressively more overall points for powers and skills of higher levels. The next version of the ranking system will change the way it scores Gold and will add a category for adventure completion and success, making it the first category in the ranking that does not directly involve character statistics. I hope I've been able to answer all the questions, but please let me know if any clarification is required, or if I missed any questions. Thanks for asking the questions and thanks for supporting Sryth! All the best, GM ----